"We faced a lot of adversity the last couple of weeks," GSU coach Brian VanGorder said. "We really bunkered down, stayed together. We were really committed together, to one another so this is a big step for our football team."

If ever a team needed a morale builder, it was Georgia Southern. The Eagles lost to Central Connecticut 17-13 in the opener and certainly VanGorder's decision to junk the triple option came under criticism.

But the offense looked just fine Saturday. Southern scored on five of its first six possessions, failing only when Jonathan Dudley missed a 25-yard field goal try.

Covington, who earned the Southern Conference's Offensive Player of the Week award last week, ran for 75 yards on the game's first play.

Foster saved the Eagles three plays later. Forced to try a short field goal, Southern got more than it hoped when Foster, the holder, took a high snap and scrambled through the Chants for touchdown.

"They botched the field goal, but Foster's such a great athlete," Coastal coach David Bennett said. "They get in (the end zone) when we should have made the tackle."

Lewis, a transfer from Florida State who missed the opener because of a groin pull, had a 46-yard run to key Covington's 1-yard touchdown run on the third possession as the Eagles widened their lead to 17-7.

Marquice Maynard's 57-yard kickoff return preceded Lewis' 40-yard scoring run on the fourth possession to make it 24-14.

Early in the third quarter, Scarborough got behind the Chanticleers' secondary to haul in a 38-yard pass, setting up Foster's second touchdown that made it 31-14.

Lewis finished with 172 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Covington had 131 and a touchdown on 22 carries.

All this seemed to missing in GSU's opener, including All-American linebacker John Mohring who served a one-game suspension against Central Connecticut for breaking team rules during the off-season.

"I had to walk with the fans (leaving the Central Connecticut game)," Mohring said. "I was getting (the fans wrath)... Hopefully we proved we could play with the big guys."

Southern's defense had its moments of struggle. Coastal wide receiver Jerome Simpson caught eight passes for a school-record 207 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chanticleers, who defeated Wofford 41-38 last week, finished with 429 yards.

But the Eagles weathered Coastal's surges by forcing two interceptions. Mohring had nine tackles, two and a half for losses.

Freshman linebacker Terrione Benefield had an interception, a sack and two tackles for losses.

"We just had to keep the past in the past," Lewis said. "We know we have a good team."